Friday, December 21, 2012

A new room awaits kids on the NASA Kids' Club website. Find your way to the new Clubhouse from the mission control console on the NASA Kids’ Club page. Journey with Nebula, the Clubhouse commander, and explore games and interactive features designed for K-4 audiences. Look through the porthole in the floor to see pictures of Earth taken from space; read about why NASA explores; play a game about what astronauts eat in space; discover what your age and weight would be on a moon or another planet; color pictures of wildlife living on NASA centers; assemble a polygon featuring NASA aircraft; and check out the “hot spots” that come to life upon contact.

In addition to the many games NASA Kids' Club offers, its “Now in Space” area provides current and past information about the astronauts on the International Space Station. Look in the “More Pictures” section for incredible NASA images.

NASA Kids’ Club is an award-winning educational website designed for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Content is based on education standards and designed to engage young children in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Merit Badge College 2013 will be taking place February 9, 2013. This is an annual, day-long event during which Boy Scouts from across the Blue Ridge Mountains Council and beyond come to Virginia Tech to work on a variety of merit badges. Since we have access to university resources, we are proud to offer merit badges that are often hard to find, such as Chemistry and Engineering. We also offer more typical badges, including those required for Eagle rank, such as First Aid and the Citizenship merit badges. Registration information for Merit Badge College 2013 is availablehere.

Monday, December 17, 2012

The Better World by Design Teen Challenge is offered in collaboration with the Science Museum of Western Virginia. Students aged 11 to 18 are challenged to design and build an exhibit or experience for the Design Faire on February 9, 2013, at the Science Museum of Western Virginia.

They are looking for experiences that communicate a science, technology, engineering, and/or math idea make the world a better place, give visitors something to do, and have good visual design.

Proposals are due December 20, 2012. Please contact Phyllis Newbil; pnewbill@vt.edu if you have any questions.

Friday, December 7, 2012

KTU is a semester-long educational research program developed by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in partnership with the Virginia 4-H, that puts

scientists and engineers in front of children to encourage the exploration of intriguing topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

After the success of KTU in 2009-12, we are excited to announce the 2013 spring semester event at Bowling Green State University for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 (on September 30, 2012). KTU is held in the same campus lecture halls used by BGSU students. Hands-on activities follow each interactive session and an online component continues the interest and excitement after the campus activities have been completed.

•Registration is on a “first-come, first-served” basis that is open to children satisfying the age restriction, regardless of place of residence or academic achievements. A waiting list will be available after registration is full for a county or for the program.•In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $25.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend.

Registration Fee- In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $25.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). The registration fee must be paid for by check; further directions will be given at the time of enrollment. Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend KTU.

February 9, 2013

“Bright Blankets And Boating Bonanzas: How Do Clouds And Ice Affect Our Planet?”

I often get curious stares when I mention that I study clouds and ice for a living. Most people want to know: Why are clouds and ice important? Clouds influence Earth's climate because they are bright blankets. Clouds cool outside temperatures because they are bright and they reflect the suns rays, but clouds also warm outside temperatures by keeping heat in like blankets. Perhaps you have noticed the competing effects of bright blanket clouds on the climate around you? Why is a clear day warmer than a cloudy day, but a cloudy night warmer than a clear night? The relationship between Earth's climate and ice is pretty simple. When the Earth's surface warms, ice melts, and the ocean expands. Why does a warming climate lead to a boating bonanza? If all the ice on our planet melted, sea level would rise over 200 feet. With that much more water in the ocean, coastlines would move inland and the area of the ocean would expand. Sea ice, frozen ocean water that floats, is different than a glacier, which consist of ice formed on land from compressed snow. Unlike melting glaciers, melting sea ice doesn’t increase sea level. But, when sea ice melts, you don't need an ice-breaker to navigate the polar oceans. Where could you go in a boat in a warmer world that you couldn't go now? We’ll use hands-on demonstrations to explore the influence of clouds and ice on Earth's climate and I’ll take all as many questions as time allows. Hope to see you there!

February 16, 2013

"How can I choose the best strategy in a game? What's my best move?"An interactive session led by Dr. Craig Zirbel

People all over the world have played thinking games for thousands of years. Some of these are two-player games of pure strategy, like chess and tic-tac-toe, others are games of chance like lotteries and roulette, while others are a mixture of the two, like Monopoly and blackjack. Many of the games that kids play today on i-pods or phones are thinking games as well. We'll play some games and learn some ways to find the best moves. We'll see that some two-player games are now completely "solved" in the sense that we know what will happen if both players make the best moves throughout the game. We'll talk about how to play the lottery, and whether to play the lottery at all! We'll explore some mathematical ideas that are often used to analyze games, but which can also be used to solve a variety of real-world problems where you are looking for the best solution.

April 6, 2013

“Why Doesn’t My Banana Get the ‘Flu?”

An interactive session led by Dr. Brett Tyler

Director of the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing and Stewart Professor of Genome Research at Oregon State University

We are surrounded by microbes. In fact human bodies contain more microbe cells than human cells. Most of these microbes live peacefully with our bodies, but a few cause nasty diseases and make us ill. Why is that? Plants are also surrounded by zillions of microbes. Most of these microbes live peacefully with those plants, but a few make plants really sick too, and can cause famines. But the microbes that cause diseases on humans almost never cause diseases on plants. Thus bananas don’t get the ‘flu. Similarly, humans mostly don’t suffer from plant diseases. Why is that? I’ll be talking about how the immune systems of humans and plants work, and how they are different. I’ll also talk about how some microbes can defeat human and plant immune systems to cause disease.

April 13, 2013

"What Can Flies Tell Us About Human Health and Evolution?"An interactive session led by Dr. Ronny Woodruff

Distinguished Research Professor, Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Joint Editor in chief GENETICA

Flies are everywhere! But did you know that flies have been used in scientific research in labs all over the world for the last 100 years. Not just any fly, but fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster, which means black-body dew lovers) that you see around bananas in your kitchen in the summer. These fruit flies are used as a model to help us understand how changes in our genes can make humans sick and can tell us how organisms, including humans, change over time—how they evolve. For example, you can place a human gene, which causes seizures in humans, into flies and the flies have seizures. Or you can change genes in flies that make them have four wings and extra bristles and the same genes when changed in humans cause extra toes and neurological diseases. During this session you will see mutants of flies that have changed eye colors and bristles, and will see how they are grown in a fly lab

Thursday, November 29, 2012

KTU is a semester-long educational research program developed by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in partnership with the Virginia 4-H, that puts scientists and engineers in front of children to encourage the exploration of intriguing topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.After the success of KTU in 2009-12, we are excited to announce the 2013 spring semester event at Virginia Tech for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 (on September 30, 2012). KTU is held in the same campus lecture halls used by VT students. Hands-on activities follow each interactive session and an online component continues the interest and excitement after the campus activities have been completed.

Spring 2013 Registration Procedure• Online enrollment begins at 6 p.m. on December 4, 2012•450 children will be accepted into the program•Those accepted will represent a geographically diverse area.•For enrollment information, please visit http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu/•Registration is on a “first-come, first-served” basis that is open to children satisfying the age restriction, regardless of place of residence or academic achievements. A waiting list will be available after registration is full for a county or for the program.•In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $100.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend.Registration Fee- In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $100.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). The registration fee must be paid for by check; further directions will be given at the time of enrollment. Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend KTU.2013 VT KTU ScheduleJanuary 26, 2013 - “No bones about it: How are shells and skeletons formed from crystals?” An interactive session led by Dr. Patricia Dove, Virginia TechFrom beautiful snowflakes to diamonds, crystals are everywhere. Crystals also make up the hard tissues of animals that we know as bones, teeth and shells. We call these ‘biominerals’. In this presentation, I will be talking about the many kinds of biominerals that animals (and plants!) make to serve an amazing variety of purposes. The best known biominerals are our bones that enable us to stand and move around. But did you know that biominerals can also become structures that filter light and food? Act as sensors for sight and shadows? Provide a compass?We will also talk about fossils and how what they tell us about how animals and plants have made biominerals for more than 500 million years. Geobiologists work as modern- day detectives to study evidence from these fossils to learn how their sizes and shapes have changed through ice ages, meteor impacts, and volcanic eruptions.Most of our discussion, however, will be about crystals. We will see videos of actual crystals growing from atoms and talk about how they are shaped into beautiful patterns.February 23, 2013- "The Genetic Code: Is it the piano that’s important, or the music played on it?" An interactive session led by Dr. Victor Raboy, United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Aberdeen, IdahoHard-working scientists have deciphered the entire computer code of life, the complete set of genes called the “genome”, of humans, other animals, plants, fish and bugs. They figured that if they knew the entire genetic code, they would understand pretty much everything about how humans, animals, plants and bugs worked. While deciphering entire genomes has greatly increased what we know about how things biological work, it turns out that just knowing the entire genetic code doesn’t explain everything. Sometimes it hardly explains anything! There are thousands of genes in a genome and each one has an “on-off” switch or a “volume control”. If the genome is the “piano” and the genes are the piano keys, then it is how all the genes are played together, just like a virtuoso’s fingers dancing over the piano keys to make music, that is ultimately important. Scientists are just beginning to understand that it’s not only the genes themselves, but how they are “played”, via a process called “epigenetics”, that can make all the difference. We will have fun learning to understand how epigenetics works, and how we can use this new knowledge to cure disease and make more nutritious vegetables for kids to eat!March 23, 2013 - “How can my phone make my boat safer?” An interactive session led by Dr. Leigh McCue-Weil, Virginia TechThese days it seems everyone is carrying around a smart phone. But just how smart is that phone? It can give you directions, recommend a restaurant, even let your parents keep an eye on where you are. In this talk we will take that a step further to see how our phones can help us make boating safer. If you have seen popular crabbing TV shows, you have seen how dangerous commercial fishing can be. We will discuss the ins and outs of writing an app to try to alleviate some of that risk.April 6, 2013 - “Why do Doctors Need Math to Treat Diabetes?” An interactive session led by Dr. Boris Kovatchev, University of VirginiaWhen we eat candy, chocolate, ice cream, or cereal, the sugar from these foods enters our bodies and is then “burned” with the help of a hormone called insulin to give us energy to move around. In fact, our brains eat mostly sugar, so without sugar we won’t be able to even think. This is called “metabolism” – the engine that makes us tick. Kids and adults who have diabetes don’t make enough insulin, so they need additional insulin injections to make their bodies work. How much, however, is very important – less insulin or more insulin can cause all kinds of trouble, and can be even deadly. So, doctors need Math to be able to precisely tell how much and when to inject insulin. And when it comes to computers that inject insulin, then the Math becomes even more important and more complicated.In this talk we’ll learn how Math can help treat diabetes, and even make possible an amazing device – the artificial pancreas – which will one day take care of kids and adults with diabetes safely and automatically.

Friday, November 16, 2012

In partnership with the University of Virginia (UVA), and with funding from the Commonwealth, Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) will pilot a transformative, on- campus summer STEM experience in July of 2013. The Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (BLAST) program will provide hands-on experiences for high school students which can have a positive influence on career choices early enough in their education to influ- ence the coursework they choose in preparation for col- lege education. BLAST will feature a three-day residential experience at UVA and will target rising high school fresh- men and sophomore students who have an underlying aptitude for STEM academics, but have not yet discov- ered the excitement of STEM. Through carefully devel- oped activities taught by UVA faculty members, students will explore STEM fields, rapidly moving from a basic top- ic introduction to an immediate personal application of newly learned principles and knowledge. www.blast.spacegrant.org

Friday, November 9, 2012

A new initiative funded through the Commonwealth’s biennial budget is the Virginia Space Coast Scholars (VSCS) program, which is a partnership between the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. VSCS is a dynamic, informal online learning experience highlighted by a seven-day residential summer academy at NASA Wallops Flight Facility for qualifying students. With a focus on scientific exploration, students will be introduced to the science, engineering, and technology concepts that are integral to earth and space-based missions launched or conducted from Virginia's Space Coast on the Eastern Shore.

Building on the excitement around scientific exploration missions conducted or launched from NASA Wallops Flight Facility and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, the VSCS program is designed to inspire high school sophomores that possess technical or scientific interests to participate. During the seven-day summer academy, the students will design, construct, and fly an experimental payload.

www.vscs.spacegrant.org

**note- according to the website above- Application Deadline is Dec.**

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

KTU is a semester-long educational research program developed by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in partnership with the Virginia 4-H, that puts

scientists and engineers in front of children to encourage the exploration of intriguing topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

After the success of KTU in 2009-12, we are excited to announce the 2013 spring semester event at Bowling Green State University for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 (on September 30, 2012). KTU is held in the same campus lecture halls used by BGSU students. Hands-on activities follow each interactive session and an online component continues the interest and excitement after the campus activities have been completed.

Spring 2013 Registration Procedure• Online enrollment begins at 6 p.m. on December 10, 2012•150 children will be accepted into the program•Those accepted will represent a geographically diverse area.•For enrollment information, please visit http://kidstechuniversity-bgsu.vbi.vt.edu/county_registration.php•Registration is on a “first-come, first-served” basis that is open to children satisfying the age restriction, regardless of place of residence or academic achievements. A waiting list will be available after registration is full for a county or for the program.•In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $25.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend.

Registration Fee- In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $25.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). The registration fee must be paid for by check; further directions will be given at the time of enrollment. Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend KTU.

February 9, 2013

“Bright Blankets And Boating Bonanzas: How Do Clouds And Ice Affect Our Planet?”

I often get curious stares when I mention that I study clouds and ice for a living. Most people want to know: Why are clouds and ice important? Clouds influence Earth's climate because they are bright blankets. Clouds cool outside temperatures because they are bright and they reflect the suns rays, but clouds also warm outside temperatures by keeping heat in like blankets. Perhaps you have noticed the competing effects of bright blanket clouds on the climate around you? Why is a clear day warmer than a cloudy day, but a cloudy night warmer than a clear night? The relationship between Earth's climate and ice is pretty simple. When the Earth's surface warms, ice melts, and the ocean expands. Why does a warming climate lead to a boating bonanza? If all the ice on our planet melted, sea level would rise over 200 feet. With that much more water in the ocean, coastlines would move inland and the area of the ocean would expand. Sea ice, frozen ocean water that floats, is different than a glacier, which consist of ice formed on land from compressed snow. Unlike melting glaciers, melting sea ice doesn’t increase sea level. But, when sea ice melts, you don't need an ice-breaker to navigate the polar oceans. Where could you go in a boat in a warmer world that you couldn't go now? We’ll use hands-on demonstrations to explore the influence of clouds and ice on Earth's climate and I’ll take all as many questions as time allows. Hope to see you there! February 16, 2013

"How can I choose the best strategy in a game? What's my best move?"An interactive session led by Dr. Craig Zirbel

People all over the world have played thinking games for thousands of years. Some of these are two-player games of pure strategy, like chess and tic-tac-toe, others are games of chance like lotteries and roulette, while others are a mixture of the two, like Monopoly and blackjack. Many of the games that kids play today on i-pods or phones are thinking games as well. We'll play some games and learn some ways to find the best moves. We'll see that some two-player games are now completely "solved" in the sense that we know what will happen if both players make the best moves throughout the game. We'll talk about how to play the lottery, and whether to play the lottery at all! We'll explore some mathematical ideas that are often used to analyze games, but which can also be used to solve a variety of real-world problems where you are looking for the best solution.

April 6, 2013

“Why Doesn’t My Banana Get the ‘Flu?”

An interactive session led by Dr. Brett TylerDirector of the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing and Stewart Professor of Genome Research at Oregon State University

We are surrounded by microbes. In fact human bodies contain more microbe cells than human cells. Most of these microbes live peacefully with our bodies, but a few cause nasty diseases and make us ill. Why is that? Plants are also surrounded by zillions of microbes. Most of these microbes live peacefully with those plants, but a few make plants really sick too, and can cause famines. But the microbes that cause diseases on humans almost never cause diseases on plants. Thus bananas don’t get the ‘flu. Similarly, humans mostly don’t suffer from plant diseases. Why is that? I’ll be talking about how the immune systems of humans and plants work, and how they are different. I’ll also talk about how some microbes can defeat human and plant immune systems to cause disease.

April 13, 2013

"What Can Flies Tell Us About Human Health and Evolution?"An interactive session led by Dr. Ronny Woodruff

Distinguished Research Professor, Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Joint Editor in chief GENETICA

Flies are everywhere! But did you know that flies have been used in scientific research in labs all over the world for the last 100 years. Not just any fly, but fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster, which means black-body dew lovers) that you see around bananas in your kitchen in the summer. These fruit flies are used as a model to help us understand how changes in our genes can make humans sick and can tell us how organisms, including humans, change over time—how they evolve. For example, you can place a human gene, which causes seizures in humans, into flies and the flies have seizures. Or you can change genes in flies that make them have four wings and extra bristles and the same genes when changed in humans cause extra toes and neurological diseases. During this session you will see mutants of flies that have changed eye colors and bristles, and will see how they are grown in a fly lab.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

We're extending our art contest deadline to November 16, 2012 to give those who may have been affected by Hurricane Sandy time to recover and participate.

Young scientists and artists are encouraged to explore biodiversity this year.

There are many different types of life on Earth -- from bacteria to insects to plants and animals. This biodiversity extends across species and individuals. We encourage students to learn about the forms of life in a particular place. Have them explore what can be seen, what types of life are hard to see, and how those lifeforms interact with one another.

Biodiversity is everywhere! Students should investigate, then draw a picture showing what they have learned. Remember to submit completed art pieces to the

"The World's a Place of Living Things" is the 17th annual art contest held by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) in Arlington, VA. The contest supports national education standards for grades K-4.

The first-, second-, and third-place artists will receive $100, $75, and $50 Visa gift cards, respectively, framed color certificates and their artwork will be showcased on IGES's website. For all entrants, certificates of participation will be available online as PDF files for teachers and parents to download and print.

About IGESLocated in Arlington, VA., IGES was established in 1994 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supported by public and private entities. IGES is a trusted leader in Earth and space science education, communication and outreach, and in fostering national and international cooperation in observing the Earth.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Scientists are routinely asked to explain findings from the lab to the general public. At Kids' Tech University (KTU;http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu), we want to support undergraduates and graduate students in turning their research (or affliated research) into a hands-on exhibit. If you are a Virginia Tech undergraduate or graduate student and are interested in honing your presentation skills to create a research centric hands-on event (hosted on the Virginia Tech campus) we are interested in working with you! We understand that consumables cost money and are offering a grant award (in the size of $50 to $100 each) to students in support of their project. These awards will be used only towards supplies, that KTU leaders will purchase; no money will be exchanged or given directly to award recipients.

Dates for hands-on events include: January 26, February 23, or March 23, 2013 (tentatively 1:30-4 pm)Place- On the Virginia Tech campus

EligibilityYou must be a Virginia Tech Undergraduate or Graduate student to be considered eligible for a grant award; see above for award guidelines. All interested students must fill out the form located at: http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu/undergrads.php . You will be asked to meet with Dr. Kristy Collins to discuss your project (she has extensive experience with the KTU program and can offer assistance in designing projects and making connections; she is here to help!).

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 31, 2012 – The award-winning educational program Kids’ Tech University celebrated a new milestone in achievement recently for its first corporate sponsorships from Rackspace, as part of the Rack Gives Back program, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Designed for children ages 9 to 12, Kids' Tech University excites children about science while providing them with valuable experience in a university setting.

Through its Rack Gives Back program, Rackspace identifies local avenues for giving or volunteerism. One of their preferred areas is science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Robert McAden, business operations manager for Blacksburg’s Rackspace office, had enrolled his daughter in a Kids' Tech University course and saw the great benefit and need to continue the program.

“As an employer, Rackspace is reliant on a STEM-educated workforce and strives to support programs that reach kids and foster an early interest in technology. We participated in the hands-on activities at Kids' Tech University last year and were able to observe the value of the program first-hand. That is why we decided to help fund this valuable program,” said McAden.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a leading laboratory equipment company, donates to local communities in an effort to support the next generation of scientists -- a perfect match for the program's mission.

Corporate sponsorships are a great boon since registration fees generally don’t cover the cost of the program. Kids' Tech University strives to provide scholarships for needy students and build future economic stability through nurturing the upcoming workforce.

In addition to the sponsorship from Rackspace and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Kids' Tech University has also formed an alliance with the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council to continue to spread the word about its exciting educational opportunities for students.

"For the program to be sustainable in the long run all the stakeholders will need to contribute. One of these is the business community, since Kids' Tech University is fundamentally a program to build the future workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our partnerships with Rackspace, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council represent a great step in engaging regional businesses,” said Reinhard Laubenbacher, director of education and outreach at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute.

Executive Director Derick Maggard noted: “The Partnership between Kids' Tech University and Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council is important because it allows our local technology communities to showcase real world applications of STEM studies; inspires kids to pursue a career in a STEM-related industry; and provides a fun, educational experience outside the classroom. By partnering with Kids' Tech University, the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council hopes to continue its mission of community outreach, raising the profile of our regional technology assets, and most importantly, inspire our young people to become scientists, techies, engineers, mathematicians, and entrepreneurs.”

Kids’ Tech University has just updated its website with the program schedule for 2013, which includes interactive sessions on topics including: fossilization processes, DNA, ships controlled by cell phones, and how math influences diabetes research. Kids' Tech University registration will open on the above website at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4.

Kids’ Tech University is a pioneering educational initiative designed to excite children about science and provide them with a real university experience. Kids' Tech University was spearheaded by Virginia Tech's Virginia Bioinformatics Institute in collaboration with the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program. The goal is to expose kindergarten through 12th grade students early to cutting-edge research in science, math, engineering, and technology to hopefully encourage them to pursue science careers. The Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University activities includes a spring event series for 9-12 year olds, a high school program, a Virginia Bioinformatics Institute interactive booth at the USA Science and Engineering Festival, and hosting kindergarten through 12th grade visits at the institute.

Friday, October 26, 2012

“Patterns are Everywhere! How and Why?”An interactive session led by Dr. Reinhard LaubenbacherProfessor at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and of the Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech

Did you know that we are surrounded by patterns--everywhere? For example, farmers need to understand weather patterns to plan their harvests. Your parents need to understand traffic patterns to drive you to school safely. Music and dance excite us through patterns of sounds and movement. Some patterns are pretty easy to spot, like the pattern on a seashell, or the pattern on a snowflake. However, other patterns around us aren’t so easy to see, like the patterns on a pine cone, or the patterns of ocean waves. I’ll bet you wouldn’t guess patterns exist in clouds! To discover some of these patterns, we need to be very, very observant. So join me and together we’ll hunt down some patterns in the world around us--and as we investigate how these patterns form and why they’re there, the answers may surprise you!

Dr. Laubenbacherhas been a Professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Virginia Tech since 2001. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem (NC) and Affiliate Faculty in the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences. Prior to these appointments Dr. Laubenbacher was Professor of Mathematics at New Mexico State University. He has served as Visiting Faculty at Los Alamos National Laboratories, was a member of the Mathematical Science Research Institute at Berkeley in 1998, and was a Visiting Associate Professor at Cornell University in 1990 and 1993. Current interests in Dr. Laubenbacher’s research group include the development of mathematical algorithms and their application to problems in systems biology, in particular the modeling and simulation of molecular networks. An application area of particular interest is cancer systems biology, especially the role of iron metabolism in breast cancer.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Tech or Treaters ages five to twelve are invited to a Halloween event scarier than a hard drive full of critical data that isn't backed up. Demonstrations will include clever spooky-themed technologies developed by students and faculty at Virginia Tech in a family-friendly environment. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Co-presented by ICAT (Virginia Tech's Institute for Creativity Arts and Technology) and the Blacksburg Children's Museum.

Monday, October 22, 2012

KTU is a semester-long educational research program developed by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in partnership with the Virginia 4-H, that puts

scientists and engineers in front of children to encourage the exploration of intriguing topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

After the success of KTU in 2009-12, we are excited to announce the 2013 spring semester event at Virginia Tech for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 (on September 30, 2012). KTU is held in the same campus lecture halls used by VT students. Hands-on activities follow each interactive session and an online component continues the interest and excitement after the campus activities have been completed.

Spring 2013 Registration Procedure• Online enrollment begins at 6 p.m. on December 4, 2012•450 children will be accepted into the program•Those accepted will represent a geographically diverse area.•For enrollment information, please visit http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu/•Registration is on a “first-come, first-served” basis that is open to children satisfying the age restriction, regardless of place of residence or academic achievements. A waiting list will be available after registration is full for a county or for the program.•In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $100.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend.

Registration Fee- In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $100.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). The registration fee must be paid for by check; further directions will be given at the time of enrollment. Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend KTU.

2013 VT KTU Schedule

January 26, 2013 - “No bones about it: How are shells and skeletons formed from crystals?” An interactive session led by Dr. Patricia Dove, Virginia Tech

From beautiful snowflakes to diamonds, crystals are everywhere. Crystals also make up the hard tissues of animals that we know as bones, teeth and shells. We call these ‘biominerals’. In this presentation, I will be talking about the many kinds of biominerals that animals (and plants!) make to serve an amazing variety of purposes. The best known biominerals are our bones that enable us to stand and move around. But did you know that biominerals can also become structures that filter light and food? Act as sensors for sight and shadows? Provide a compass?

We will also talk about fossils and how what they tell us about how animals and plants have made biominerals for more than 500 million years. Geobiologists work as modern- day detectives to study evidence from these fossils to learn how their sizes and shapes have changed through ice ages, meteor impacts, and volcanic eruptions.

Most of our discussion, however, will be about crystals. We will see videos of actual crystals growing from atoms and talk about how they are shaped into beautiful patterns.

February 23, 2013- "The Genetic Code: Is it the piano that’s important, or the music played on it?" An interactive session led by Dr. Victor Raboy, United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Aberdeen, Idaho

Hard-working scientists have deciphered the entire computer code of life, the complete set of genes called the “genome”, of humans, other animals, plants, fish and bugs. They figured that if they knew the entire genetic code, they would understand pretty much everything about how humans, animals, plants and bugs worked. While deciphering entire genomes has greatly increased what we know about how things biological work, it turns out that just knowing the entire genetic code doesn’t explain everything. Sometimes it hardly explains anything! There are thousands of genes in a genome and each one has an “on-off” switch or a “volume control”. If the genome is the “piano” and the genes are the piano keys, then it is how all the genes are played together, just like a virtuoso’s fingers dancing over the piano keys to make music, that is ultimately important. Scientists are just beginning to understand that it’s not only the genes themselves, but how they are “played”, via a process called “epigenetics”, that can make all the difference. We will have fun learning to understand how epigenetics works, and how we can use this new knowledge to cure disease and make more nutritious vegetables for kids to eat!

These days it seems everyone is carrying around a smart phone. But just how smart is that phone? It can give you directions, recommend a restaurant, even let your parents keep an eye on where you are. In this talk we will take that a step further to see how our phones can help us make boating safer. If you have seen popular crabbing TV shows, you have seen how dangerous commercial fishing can be. We will discuss the ins and outs of writing an app to try to alleviate some of that risk.

April 6, 2013 - “Why do Doctors Need Math to Treat Diabetes?” An interactive session led by Dr. Boris Kovatchev, University of Virginia

When we eat candy, chocolate, ice cream, or cereal, the sugar from these foods enters our bodies and is then “burned” with the help of a hormone called insulin to give us energy to move around. In fact, our brains eat mostly sugar, so without sugar we won’t be able to even think. This is called “metabolism” – the engine that makes us tick. Kids and adults who have diabetes don’t make enough insulin, so they need additional insulin injections to make their bodies work. How much, however, is very important – less insulin or more insulin can cause all kinds of trouble, and can be even deadly. So, doctors need Math to be able to precisely tell how much and when to inject insulin. And when it comes to computers that inject insulin, then the Math becomes even more important and more complicated.

In this talk we’ll learn how Math can help treat diabetes, and even make possible an amazing device – the artificial pancreas – which will one day take care of kids and adults with diabetes safely and automatically.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Program dates: July 8-12, 2013Application Deadline:May 3, 2013Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech offers summer internships to high school students interested in computer science, mathematics, infectious diseases, the environment, and bioinformatics. This week-long program includes research activities and tours, and a discussion/lecture series.High school studentsinterested in math and science, who are able to provide their own reliable transportation to VBI each morning, are eligible for participation in the program. The main objective of this high school internship is to show students the fun and excitement of scientific research. Students will have the opportunity to explore the world of genomics and the environment with world-renowned research scientists in professional labs.Dedicated workis key for success in any career, especially one in bioinformatics research. The internship experience will strengthen the principle of dedicated work through intensive laboratory research and journal keeping exercises given throughout the week. A highly motivated attitude is encouraged throughout the program!Program website- http://highschool.vbi.vt.edu/

This program is funded through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, administered through the MIDAS Network. Grant number: U01 GM070694-09

Events include:Hands-on activities to learn about the geosciences available throughout the day~OmniGlobe- interactive visualization~EmRiver- stream and delta simulation~Fluorescent Mineral Display~Gem Identification Station

Thursday, October 11, 2012

"Computer Science in the World: From Toy Brains to Keeping Trees Healthy"An interactive session led by Dr. Caitlin Kelleher

Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Washington University in St. LouisOne of the coolest things about computer science is that you can use the tools of computing to help solve just about any problem you can find or imagine. In this talk, we'll look at how people teach computers to solve problems. We'll start by delving into the brains of electronic toys and then see how some computer scientists are approaching some of the biggest problems we face as a society.

Dr. Caitlin Kelleher is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Washington University in St. Louis. Her computer program, “Storytelling Alice,” has been shown to be influential in the teaching of computer programming to young females.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Crawl, scamper, or inch your way to the second annual Hokie Bugfest, when kids of all ages can learn about the importance of insects and their relatives in our daily lives. Children and their parents can discover what a 10-inch millipede looks like, stare a tarantula right in its eight eyes, and watch cockroach races.

The many hands-on exhibits and the large collection of insects on display — including blue death-feigning beetles and cave-dwelling whip scorpions that squirt vinegar from their tails — are designed to not only send shivers down spines but also to build an interest in the science of entomology.

“Insects often do more good than harm,” said Mike Weaver, professor of entomology and Virginia Cooperative Extension director of Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs. “Insects play a vital role in the environment; for example, they pollinate crops and decompose waste materials. Entomology helps unlock the secrets of both the insect world and the environment at large.”

The festival is a learning opportunity for children, who can admire a giant bird-eater tarantula, try on beekeepers’ suits, and learn about aquatic insects. Dozens of hands-on exhibits will also give families the opportunity to learn about less-popular arthropods such as bed bugs, cockroaches, stink bugs, mosquitoes, and termites. After visiting eight exhibits, children will receive official junior entomologist certificates.

Jim Alberti’s troupe of performing fleas, the HokieBird, the Hokietron, and robotic insects will also be featured.

The Hokie Bugfest takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A complete list of activities and parking information is available on the Hokie Bugfest website.

The event is held in collaboration with the entomology department’s student-run organization, the W.B. Alwood Society.

Nationally ranked among the top research institutions of its kind, Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences focuses on the science and business of living systems through learning, discovery, and engagement. The college’s comprehensive curriculum gives more than 3,100 students in a dozen academic departments a balanced education that ranges from food and fiber production to economics to human health. Students learn from the world’s leading agricultural scientists, who bring the latest science and technology into the classroom.